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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in middle ear fluid of children

Joel Klein1, Shannon Chan

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA. jklein@nemours.org

Clinical Pediatrics
|July 25, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Pediatric middle ear fluid samples show an increasing trend of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Younger children under three years old are more susceptible to MRSA compared to methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Otolaryngology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Pediatric infections caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have seen a notable rise.
  • This increase prompted an investigation into MRSA's prevalence in pediatric middle ear fluid (MEF).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of increased MRSA infections on its isolation from pediatric MEF.
  • To determine the proportion of MRSA among Staphylococcus aureus isolates in children's middle ear infections.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from 2003-2007 at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
  • Examination of MEF isolates from children undergoing tympanostomy tube placement or with spontaneous ear drainage.
  • Identification and tabulation of all Staphylococcus aureus isolates from MEF.

Main Results:

  • Out of 920 MEF isolates reviewed, 121 cases involved Staphylococcus aureus.
  • In a cohort of 101 patients, 25 (24.7%) had MRSA, while 76 (75.3%) had methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Conclusions:

  • Younger children, specifically those under three years of age, were found to be more likely to have MRSA in their MEF.
  • The study highlights a significant presence of MRSA in pediatric middle ear infections, particularly in the youngest age group.

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